Protecting your vehicle from indoor dust

After all, the stuff has buried entire civilizations, which gives archaeologists something to do. Cars may look sealed, but they have to let people breathe, and they must pull air from the environment in some way.

Of course, you could vow never to take a dirt road, park in a gravel driveway, or stop under a tree shedding sticky yellow pollen, but nature usually finds a way in. The good news is that you don’t need a Silicon Valley clean room for a garage.

Protecting your vehicle from indoor dust can be helped along in many ways. There are cleaning methods that can remedy the problem. You can vacuum, sponge and grab the duster from the closet. But it’s best to avoid labor-intensive solutions by using covers that prevent the build-up in the first place.

Covers

Car coverings now come in a vast array of sizes, shapes, and functions. They fit over your car or snuggly on interior surfaces. Exterior fabrics are no longer one-size-fits-all items. They contain films that allow moisture out, but neither rain nor particles in. You can pick the year, make, and model of your wheels with simple slider menus and get an instant result. Choices now include a variety of grades, from economical to a bit pricier, but most are well within reach. You can even order custom designs if you want just the right fit.

For the interior, modern technology has created car cover options that fit seats, dashboards, floor surfaces and storage areas. There are special picks for your canine family members that avoid pet hair and paw traffic.

Besides keeping a clean vehicle, an added benefit is that your vehicle retains more of its value should you ever wish to part with it.

Air filters

Don’t forget to change your car’s air filters at least once a year, usually in spring. This preventative measure will save you the grief of a deep cleanse further down the road. As a side benefit, allergens and irritants will disturb you and your passengers a good deal less.

For maintenance, there are jars of gel that promise to keep odors at bay. If you use them, make sure they’re placed in a very secure spot. Better options include plug-in filters and purifiers. Many include a combination of HEPA filtration, charcoal, and ionization to get the job done.

Cleaning

Perhaps you forgot to do all the above. You have a life, and other things to do. Before you catch up, go through a deep clean, inside and out. Run through the car wash, and use those vacuum stations to draw out all the old, lingering debris you’ve tracked in. Get yourself a portable hand vac for touch-ups. There’s an assortment of microfiber dusters on offer to attack films and grit where they fall. Another quick trick: grab a box of dryer sheets from the laundry and run them over the buttons, knobs and crevices you missed in the first round.

Liquid cleaners for rugs, trim, fabric and leather are a spray bottle away. Read the instructions and make sure you’re using them the right way. There are deodorizers that banish stale odors, and ones much worse, and air fresheners with whatever scent you want. Believe it or not, there are sprays that claim to put that “new car smell” back in.

Once everything passes the white-glove test, you can install coverings and breathe a sigh of relief with that newly freshened air, knowing you’ll never have to go through all that again.